I met you those days when I was still a bloody civilian, though you didn’t have a clue of the warrior I could ever become in years later. That same bloody civilian with 32cm chest size is now a hyena with killer eyes who spends each day of his life shooting brass with the Justice stick given to him to protect his dear country after years of life daring trainings.
If someone else is reading this letter to my lovely wife, I’m Richard, a young US navy seal officer in his mid thirties. I only want my sweet heart know I’m doing well over here and also tell her what the war front looks like.
Since we have been brought down here in Afghanistan some months ago, I mostly stay up all nights with my eyes wide opened in their sockets so that the ones I love can sleep with their two eyes tightly closed. I have been behind and in front of the gun so that my people wouldn’t know what a bullet looks or feels like.
I used to say; the better days lay ahead unknown to me that the only better day we have was yesterday. Most of us which I happened to be among used to think that barrack is our permanent home until my name showed up on the list of the soldiers (no, I prefer to be called a warrior) deployed to Afghanistan to fight for peace for the people who do not even know of my existence, but after all, every single week man deserves to be fought for by we who are trained to give peace for the weak.
Back in my barrack days, I used to switch from pencil to pen writing about naval lives. But now at the war front, I switched from my assault rifle which happens to be my best friend to my pistol(pal always beside my lap), forgot to tell you how tangos throats were slit open with my dagger, nevertheless don’t let me forget how grenades taught some manner less youngsters lessons they never had the opportunity to correct. It scares me to tell you all these, but have you ever imagined your meek husband gallantly Manning a 50 caliber machine gun before? Well, I was behind its butt at some point with my finger doing wonders on the trigger, my punch and taekwondo skill also saved my ass from the tangos when bullet could not sort out the unexpected confrontation.
With multitude of soldiers like me, I came to this battle field, but now I can do the counting of our remnants even though the death toll on the tangos’ side is thousands of folds compared to ours.
Let me tell you few of my bad days so far on the front. Do you still remember Huston who spoke with you on Skype the last time you called me, I mean the same guy you told to watch after me, sad to say that the helmet our nonchalant government gave us could not save his head from the sniper’s bullet few days ago. Kingsley promised his pregnant wife to come back home just as we all did, but unfortunately for the innocent guy, landmine did not allow him see the sunrise of yesterday.
Obviously, Ashley’s mom would still be expecting her son to come back home soon unknown that his body will be the only thing brought home with US flag wrapped around it also with his dog tag and farewell letter. Several bullet wounds and stabs, several narrow escapes from the shadow of death, but thank God I always wake up strong like iron every morning to fight the battle that comes for each day.
As at last week, more than ten choppers bitten dust by the falling power of the Kurusafa’s RPG, counting numbers of destroyed humvee would take days, brass littered the whole floor like grasses on the stadium. Ever imagined the hunter becoming the hunted? The strong falling at the feet of the weak? The giants have been climbed and crumbled by dwarfs? It happened until the battle turned around for our favor earlier this week due to several technical arts employed.
Earlier the ricocheting bullets, the grenade launcher, the rockets, the tanks, bombs and ambushes left many men in uniform laid down without a single life in their bodies littered the whole desert like refuse on the dump site, but we did not allow that to wear us or weigh us down, we still kept fighting same as we will keep doing till our last breath unless the tangos are all wiped off the earth surface.
If blood could sing a dirge for their owners, then the voices of our brothers would not finish the first verse before the tangos no longer exist. The fallen old-sweat would not dry up before we wet the desertwith the rebellions’ blood.
Darling forgive me for making you pass through the loneliness, I signed for this alone, I shouldn’t have dragged into this you and my beautiful kids that I promised to give the best Dad. Don’t blame me too much, it’s my passion for the life full of action and my love for the nation that brought me this far into making pledge and taking oath for the seal team. Believe me; I have never regretted any repercussion of my action except for the fact that I always leave you alone once in a while panicking about my safety in the war front.
Hm! Let me take it back to those days, drawing a picturesque of you in my head reminds me of the old good memories of our days in the University, the refreshing memories of our days together from back then till now stirs my urge to always fight my way back and remain alive to come back home to you.
Did you remember saying No when I asked if you can ever date a man in uniform? I won’t ever forget how you first treated me before opening your heart to me, because those pasts are part of what built our love to be this strong. I can tell by the way you looked at me when female soldiers walked by behind me whenever I’m Skyping with you in the barrack, I know how you always feel, but trust me, all these Pocahontas do not get nothing on me because I’m all yours.
Death knocks my door every single day, but grace always scape me through the exit without a scratch. Though death is actually not the saddest thing to befall man, it’s just a portal to the limbo where you rest with no more fight for peace.
Never have I thought of dying this young, but if the green leaf happened to fall off, have this on your mind that I will surely die with my boots on my feet because I’m living for those things I’d rather die for which are; Honor, Peace, Liberty, Freedom and my selfless Love for the humanity.
Baby, just don’t be afraid , but keep on praying for my safety because I have promised to stay with you till we both hit the 3-figures age, and remember I have never broken any of my promises. Therefore, this also won’t be an exemption.
After the war is over and the gore is no more, after the peace is ours and the nation is normal, after the enemies fangs have been successfully uprooted then I’ll be with you again.
Wait oh! Baby, have I told you about my new plan? Pardon my bad, you ought to have known since, but I was trying to make it a surprise. Immediately the war is over and I got back home, we are moving to our newly acquired apartment in LA, probably by then I’d be on my working leave, then we will have enough time for each other. Also, I have bought the Mercedes Benz A-class you always told me you like.
I’m soon coming home to be with you again and forever. Been carrying you in my heart for so long, very soon I will carry you in my arms. In every sunset I happen to be one of the lucky survivors to see, my M16 rests on my lap and our favorite song troops out of my mouth while your sonorous voice also sing along in my head.
My love, hold on a little bit more for me, you have endured this far. As soon as the field is greener once again and all the blood are forever washed off the nation surface to the shore, I will also come home to meet you and my kids so that I can fulfill my promises of becoming a best Dad and best husband, you know I have never broken any of my promises before.
But pending the time while I am still at the war front, hold on a little bit more for me to come back home to you.
What do you think?